The Thriller
Disclaimer: Kung Fu Panda is © 2008 DreamWorks Animation SKG
Yes, yes, I know…Kippis has been a real jerk for not updating as often as he should – well too bad! Nah, I keed, I keed. But seriously, to all of you new readers (as well as my faithful followers): Thank you so very much for your overwhelming support and very helpful comments from the previous chapter! They are the tonic that keep my muse alive! So, without further adieu, let us continue…
http://www. youtube .com/watch?v=zAa7z5QdL4M
Update: I apologize for those of you who are getting another posting notice, but the chapter had to be revised. Thanks.
Sixth Track – Butterflies
Recorded in 2001, part of the album 'Invincible'
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Of course; if I didn't, I'd leave it all up to you to handle yourself. But since I'm the only girly girl in this Palace, I suggest you shut up and hold still."
"I still don't think that all of this is worth the trouble, Viper…"
"As much as I value your opinion, Tigress, I went to extreme lengths to get Po ready for tonight, so you're going to look the part, whether you like it or not."
Tigress growled miserably, but she did make a good point. If Po was able to concede to the serpent's torture for her, then she'd have to at least try to do the same for him. "I don't know why you have to make such a big deal out of all this. It's not like we're going to some big, formal affair; it's just dinner!"
Viper rolled her eyes at the feline's snide comment, but took it in stride as she coiled around her friend, delicately painting a bright, cherry-colored cosmetic to the tiger's lips with her tail. "And this is precisely the reason why you need all the help you can get in this department," she shot back. "Besides, just imagine how he'll react when you walk through that door – you'll be thanking me for this in the end."
"Sure I will," the tiger muttered. Viper slithered back and took a look at her work…then smiled.
"Alright, I'm done, you big baby – you know if you hadn't complained so much, I would've been done with you a lot sooner," Viper mused, her smile turning the slightest bit smug. "Now I suggest you get your ass up there, because you were supposed to meet him ten minutes ago."
"I'm ten minutes late?" She asked; Viper nodded. "…Ah, DAMMIT!" The feline jumped to her feet and bolted from the serpent's bedroom, as if the floor was covered in white hot coals. She could hear Tigress' voice fade as she ran down the hall and out of the bunkhouse, spewing out a number of different derogatory statements that the tree snake didn't think she was capable of saying. Viper sighed and shook her head, closing up her cosmetics case – at this rate, she'd never get that girl up and out of this Palace…
Po took a deep breath, nervously clenching and relaxing his fists around a bouquet of fresh tiger lilies he'd picked up earlier in the day – from what he had heard from his most trusted inside source, they were Tigress' absolute favorite variety of flowers. Because of their rarity in the southern provinces of China, especially so early in the season, it was a miracle he was able to get them at all (As it so happened, Po had likewise heard from that same source that the feline had also threatened to seal him in a jar indefinitely if he broke one more of her personal belongings.)
Getting the flowers was the easy part, and surprisingly, so was asking her out to dinner. But awaiting her arrival in the Sacred Hall of Warriors that warm spring evening was probably the most nerve-wracking experience of his entire life. He nervously paced back and forth by the Moon Pool, glancing at the doors for a few seconds, then up at the ceiling, back down to the doors, and then to the flowers in his paws. Taking another deep breath he slowly walked over to the tranquil waters of the pool and silently inspected his reflection. Viper had strung him along most of the afternoon, grooming and primping the panda so that he would at least fit the part of his namesake – he was encouraged, or rather threatened with bodily harm if he didn't go along with it, to wear a white silk changshan and light yellow undershirt with a pair of dark, jade green pants to replace his worn homespun shorts.
Tigress wasn't ever one to gawk over appearances, but Viper wasn't about to let him take the low road. No, not tonight! On the hottest, muggiest spring evening the panda could even remember!
Po had traveled to the hallowed training grounds just a few hours before just to make sure everything was perfect – the food, the blankets, pillows to sit on, and he'd even left an unopened bottle of shaoxing for her to find, hoping that Tigress would remember that night they spent in the courtyard down in his father's restaurant, effectively cleaning out the goose's liquor cabinet. (Mr. Ping had subsequently forced his son to work double time to replace his stock in time for the Lantern Festival, when business usually began to pick up.)
Monkey had helped him pick the menu and even helped prepare the food (and stuffed a few cookies in his pocket when the simian wasn't looking) – the golden languor had also gone as far as offering his assistance to help carry the food all the way up there, which was no small feat, considering the less-than-friendly hike it took to actually get there.
Amazingly, it was probably by the heavens' own divine intervention that he was able to work up the courage to do this at all. Aside from Po's father, a rather tiny inconvenience at best, it was Master Shifu's whereabouts which were probably the largest factor in when and where they spent any time together. Tonight, however, there was no Shifu to stand in their way. The Grandmaster of the Jade Palace had been called away to the city of Cháng'ān to report dealings in the Valley with the Emperor in person. Word had been circulating amongst the Palace servants that their master was secretly terrified of taking this trip in Master Oogway's stead; having never met the current ruler of China himself, anyone could certainly understand his frustration…Po had no trouble believing this, especially given the fact that the red panda burned twice as many candles down to the wick in his meditation chamber prior to his departure.
…It – it is simply good luck to burn seven hundred candles before a long, arduous trip, Panda…
They had been especially careful in keeping their personal relationship discreet from him over the past few months, although tiger and panda both knew that it was probably only a matter of time before he uncovered the extent of their 'late night training sessions'…
Po shook his head. He was making this sound much more scandalous than it truly was.
It had really all started with pure talk; she would meet him outside the Palace gates after the others had gone to sleep, and they would just talk. It had actually taken more than a month after they'd first kissed to do so again, and with each passing night they grew more and more comfortable with actually pushing the idea of being what some people considered to be a couple. Of course, emerging from two separate yet similarly protected childhoods, neither of them had any true sense of what it was to be in a real relationship, which was precisely the reason why they wanted to take things so slowly.
Over time he learned about all her likes and dislikes, and she grew accustomed to his various quirks…eccentricities…bugaboos…bête noirs…night terrors…it was like they were meeting each other all over again, but from a different point of view, and in an entirely new light.
As he twiddled his fingers nervously, the sound of soft footsteps approached. Po looked up to see Tigress standing a few yards away, a quick, fleeting smile on her face as she caught sight of the tiger lilies in the panda's paws. She was wearing her usual training clothes, red sleeveless vest and black silk pants, but what inevitably caught his breath was the golden yellow eye shadow, crimson lipstick meticulously painted on by the most delicate touch (he assumed that was Viper's doing,) eyelashes drawn out by fine mascara, and the careful placement of a single yellowish-pink lotus flower behind her left ear…
She looked absolutely stunning.
After he somehow managed to hand her the flowers, she looked up at him, smiling. "I see Viper worked her magic." He mutely nodded, utterly speechless. "And I have to say she did a damn good job…because jade looks really good on you," Again, he nodded, holding his breath as she leaned in closer to him.
"What's the matter, Dragon Warrior? Cat got your tongue?"
Po tugged at his collar nervously, "N-no, it—it's just that, I've never seen…you, it's just that – ah, you look just…wow." He mentally slapped himself silly, his fan-boyish personality was once again rearing its big, fat, ugly head. Fuck. Fuck, fuckin' hell! Get it together, man! "Uh, okay, I know that sounded stupid…what I meant to say was—"
"You look wonderful?" She ventured, snapping him from his thoughts.
"What?" He asked, lost in a complete state of dumbfounded confusion.
She smirked, "Repeat what I'm saying, Panda: 'Tigress, you look absolutely wonderful this evening. And I am the luckiest sonofabitch on this Earth to have someone as sweet, kind, and lovable as you are.'"
"…Uh, you look sweet, Tigress…"
Tigress cocked her head slightly, pinching her lips to the side. "Mm, good enough," she teased, grabbing his hand and pulling him along. "Now tell me about where we're having dinner…"
He ran behind her, his slacks rolled up above his knees, his changshan, sandals and bindings all scattered somewhere far behind them, his shirt collar open just the slightest bit. Although, being the chased in front of the chaser, she had no room to talk. Her makeup was a complete wreck and her lotus flower missing after Po had pushed her down into the waters of the Pool of Sacred Tears, all thoughts of reverence for the holy grounds completely forgotten. Dinner had been absolutely wonderful, but of course, neither of them were willing to call it a night quite so soon, especially considering the fact that the feline became unusually playful after having one or two drinks…
Even as she was, being slightly tipsy, Tigress had somehow managed to outmaneuver him and guide the panda further down the trail, right up to the shores of the River Li.
Her tail skimmed the surface of the river behind her while her pant legs soaked up the water she was splashing through. She seemed confident that she could keep her pace ahead of him, but after a rather impressive series of leaps to catch up to her, he'd finally caught the feline around the waist and spun her around, breathing hard and grinning like a madman. Tigress didn't break away, but rather smirked and waited patiently as the panda hastily recaptured his breath.
Po arched an eyebrow and gazed at her, not losing the grin on his lips. "You were right, Master Tigress, I should have taken you up on that offer to increase my endurance," he took another few breaths. "…'cause you're a hell of a lot harder to catch than I thought."
She knew he was just teasing her, although in all honesty, Tigress was deeply impressed that the panda was even able to catch her at all. The feline giggled and pulled him farther up the shore and out of the water. "Fine. No more running…would you care to dance, Panda?"
"There's no music." He chuckled into her shoulder and tugged her body closer. "And besides," she could feel his breath next to her ear as he whispered: "Since when do you dance?"
Tigress leaned back and grinned playfully. "Po, you seem to forget that kung fu is a delicate balance of form, stance, and fluid movement. Remember when Viper told you about her ribbon dancing?" He nodded, and she leaned back against him as they resumed their mock-dance. "I always learned from the best." They just held each other and swayed slowly, and he began to hum the tune of a folk song she'd heard in the village when she was much younger, one that she always secretly favored. Before she knew it, she was singing the refrain very softly, as she gazed at the river over his shoulder.
I promised I would never leave you…and you should always know, wherever you may go, no matter where you are…
"I never will be far away," he whispered quietly. She stopped singing and hummed the next few bars very softly, practically to herself, recalling how, when she was just a little girl, the matron at Bau Gu once held a young tigress in her arms and rocked her quietly to the slow tune she sang. A rare and precious moment.
She sighed contentedly. This is what she wanted her entire life, really. "It's been a wonderful evening…" the rest of that day had been fun, come to think of it. Although Shifu wasn't around to keep a strict schedule, she still trained as usual. She'd made Po spar with her for a while before lunch, and afterward they lounged around on the steps of the training hall…just him, her and her comrades. It was such a beautiful afternoon, all the trees budding with new life and the wildflowers giving off the sweetest of scents. Viper had brought out some sweet lemon tea and Monkey baked a fresh batch of his famous cookies. Po had left by then, running errands for their dinner. Afternoon quickly melted into evening, evening to night.
And now there they were. Dancing on the river bank, under the stars. She looked up at them – there was no moon that night, but the millions of twinkling lights up in the dark sky more than made up for its absence.
"Yeah, it's really been a great night, Tigress…"
The feline stopped their slow dance, then, and wove her left arm through his right, facing them both toward the water. With her free hand, she pointed up at the stars. "When I was a little girl, I used to wish on stars. Master Oogway always said that with a little work and a little luck, any wish could come true. So I began to wish on them every chance I got."
He never looked at the stars. He was watching her. "And what did little Tigress wish for?"
She smiled up at the sky, but her voice held an air of sorrow about it. "She wished that someday she could find someone."
Po was shocked, slightly, but he tried not to let it show. "She did?"
Tigress nodded. "Yes, she did. Although Shifu would never hear of it, Master Oogway told her that there was someone out there, looking for her. He said that the only man good enough for her would scoop the stars out of the sky with his hand and lay them at her feet. He'd always have the answers to every other wish she ever made. Oogway told me to never stop wishing for him to come."
Po nodded understandingly. "And did he? Answer your wishes, I mean…"
She paused. "He has."
"What else did little Tigress wish for?"
"She wished that she would never be alone." She grinned and imitated her younger self. "I wish I never, ever had to be alone. But, please, I don't want to get married!"
His brow wrinkled. "How come?"
Tigress looked at him and shook her head as if he should have known all along. "Little Tigress didn't think she'd ever need a signed contract to prove she was in love and was loved by someone else." She lowered her voice, as if imparting a great secret. "People thought she was a monster…but she only wanted what everyone else wanted."
"I think she was right."
"Did you ever wish on stars, Po?"
He bowed his head and sighed. "Yeah, sometimes. But that was before I tried to convince myself that it was something that I needed to stop doing, since my wishes never seemed to come true."
Tigress smiled, "And what did Po Ping wish for?"
He closed his eyes and grinned, blushing just slightly. "Eh, stupid stuff…like one time I wished that my stomach would disappear."
She laughed at his self consciousness…it was cute. To be fair, the panda had lost a considerable amount of weight since he'd first fallen in at the Jade Palace, but she knew that Po would never be as slim as Monkey or Crane (or Mantis?) were – it was just the nature of his species. After all, he was a giant panda; but Tigress liked him just the way he was. If anything, his large belly served her as being a nice, soft pillow.
"And there were always times he wished that he'd grow up to be a legendary kung fu warrior. He secretly wanted to be so legendary, that every time he faced his enemies, they'd be taken down in one strike by over-exposure to his pure awesomeness." Po paused and looked down at her as she giggled, "Fighting side by side with the most feared warriors in China…"
She squeezed his arm. Legend says that he came down from the sky on a ball of fire…that he's a warrior; unlike anything the world has ever seen. "And what else?"
He sighed a bit sorrowfully. "Po Ping never wanted to be alone either. He hoped that would change."
"Anything else?"
"As he got older, he wished he could find his soul-mate. Po Ping believed in things like that." The last part was said in the same whisper she'd used.
They were quiet for a moment as he watched the stars as she was. "Does he still believe that?"
He smiled at her. "Yeah, he does." Po paused as Tigress' lips gently touched his cheek, and then he sighed. "Tigress, where do you see this going?"
"What?" The feline asked, surprise in her tone, "You mean…us?" They sat down together, side by side. He watched the water. She watched him intently. "Yeah. I mean, I think we have something really special, y'know?"
Tigress wasn't sure what he wanted to hear. True, it was a bit too early in their relationship to start thinking of what their lives would be like down the road one year from now, or five years from now, or even ten years from now. Ten years? Heavens forbid! And it was also true that it was too soon to start thinking of anything like marriage or children, but at this point, there was no way she wasn't going to be honest with him. "I think we do, too."
She had simply left it at that, wrapping an arm as completely around his large frame as she could and sighed softly, laying her head against his chest, breathing slowly. Not surprisingly, his heart began to race as she nuzzled closer to him, twitching slightly as he often did when she dared to get this close. Tigress didn't mind it, though…it reminded her that even now, even after they had grown much more comfortable with being together, he was still just as panicky as he'd always been.
And she found that endearing.
But what he ended up saying next surprised her: "There was one more thing that Po Ping always wished for…"
The feline smiled slightly, "Little Tigress is willing to listen to that wish." She cuddled closer against him, a soft, contented purr escaping her as she felt his paw come around to gently rub her belly – she loved it when he did that.
Tigress turned to him, dropping any attempt at keeping a subtle distance between them, and pressed her body up against his side. She let a long, drawn out breath drift along the side of his face and drew her tongue out, dragging it up his neck and across his cheek. His breathing quickened as a tingle of insane delight shot up his spine. Felines were adept at using their unique tongues in the most interesting ways, and Tigress was no exception. He brought his arms around her, moving his paws up and down her back as she lavished his face and neck with her tongue. She lapped at his cheeks, his nose, and the underside of his jaw, bathing him in a loving motion that she saved only for the occasions when they were truly alone.
He moaned softly when she began to nibble on the nape of his neck, readjusting her body and pushing herself from the ground and into his lap. Po moved a paw down her side, feeling across her midsection until he reached the base of her tail. He wrapped his fingers around it and tugged gently, drawing a deep, resonating purr from the feline master. Pulling on her tail, he'd very recently discovered, seemed to be something she really enjoyed, so long as he was careful about it. Too hard of a pull had earned him a pretty lengthy pockmark on his shoulder a couple of months back.
A hungry mewl escaped from the tigress' lips, her heart beginning to hammer away in her chest, wondering what exactly Po had in mind…and she got her answer when he turned his body towards hers, leaning his face down to lock their lips together. It seemed fairly chaste at first, but she moaned out her satisfaction when she felt Po's hands travel lower down her frame, grasping at her waist to pull her flush against him, forcing their kiss to deepen.
She felt quite sure her heart would burst when one of his paws slid down to her lower back, tenderly rubbing her — What is he doing…? She gasped against his lips as his hand groped her backside. It sent a shockwave of pure unbridled pleasure up and down the tiger's spine – so much so that she had to break off the kiss to breathe.
"Gods!" She gasped, looking up at him, mingled shock and desire evident on her face. "Po…d–did you just grab my ass?"
He grinned sheepishly, "Um, yeah, I did. Kinda." He paused, instantly adopting a panicked expression. "You're going to kill me now, aren't you?"
Tigress smiled and laced her fingers through his. "Well, let me see." She paused to ponder how to phrase it. "Po Ping's question – wondering where exactly he and little Tigress were going?" The panda nodded, obviously intrigued. When he's intrigued, he cocks his head to the side, holding a sort of curious half-smile, with just a hint of a glimmer in his jade green eyes. "Well, from my point of view, at least, I think you answered your own question when you decided to use my ass as a squeeze toy."
He looked back down at her and grinned. "But, you said it yourself, didn't you? You knew I had a thing for your ass a long time before tonight…"
Oh, and was he ever right about that. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry, but mostly, she wanted to hold him. Or slap him. Or both. "And I'm glad for that." But on to other more important things. She wanted them to be carefree. Tonight was all about the present, not the past. That's when she smiled a bit mischievously. "What would Po Ping say to a midnight swim?"
The panda looked at her thoughtfully. "He would probably remind little Tigress that they didn't have swimsuits."
"I thought he had become a legendary kung fu warrior?" Tigress was grinning wickedly by this time as she cocked her eyebrow. "Po Ping is wearing undershorts if he's that self conscious, isn't he?"
He gasped indignantly as a joke, but Tigress was certain that it was partly to cover up his very visible blush. "Yeah, but Po Ping is wondering just how little Tigress knows so much about his underwear!"
Her smile turned innocent, almost too innocent. "And little Tigress has never been one to refuse a nice skinny dip…"
He raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Does this mean that little Tigress doesn't want to take things so slowly anymore?"
The feline considered that as she held on to his arm rather tightly. "This means that little Tigress wants to know just how much 'awesomeness' Po Ping is hiding from her."
Po looked around conspiratorially. "Maybe we'll be arrested for indecent exposure. Now THAT would be something neither of us would ever be able to live down. It'd be almost as bad as that time people starting cracking jokes about why Monkey and Mantis spend all their time together."
Tigress laughed, pushed him away, jumped up, and ran farther down the river bank, leaving him once again to catch her…
She cuddled up against him, feeding off his warmth and trying to recapture her breath; the twilight air around them remained still, with only the sound of the flowing waters of the river to break up the silence.
Eventually, Tigress found her voice, though it was only the barest hint of a whisper. "Po, never let me go…"
"Never, Tigress," he whispered back, gently kissing the top of her head. She nuzzled his neck, her eyes closing and sleepiness evident on her face. He smiled, and brushed her cheek with his hand as he held her close to him, slowly drifting off to sleep.
Their journey back to the Jade Palace had been utterly nerve-wracking, to say the very least.
Po had been strangely quiet ever since they had awoken the next morning, and, although Tigress usually wasn't the best person in the world to hold a conversation with, she was experiencing quite a bit of difficulty in being able to say two words to him as well. It couldn't have been that last night wasn't enjoyable – for being her first time, it had been quite literally the opposite, and very very enjoyable, she thought with a glowing blush. The dull, throbbing pain she felt in her lower abdomen was a testament to that…
She obviously had no previous experience in the field, and apparently, neither did he. It wasn't that she hadn't been expecting him to, what was the word? 'Perform', exceptionally well…it certainly wasn't the same thing as learning kung fu. It wasn't like there was a secret set of scrolls or a certain number of techniques that she could have used; although she had to admit that flexibility and endurance, both of which were keystones in practicing any form of martial arts, both points in which she was exceedingly adept to, were also a solid foundation for good love making.
She wondered for a brief moment if the fact that they made love out in the open, with only the stars and the dark sky as their witnesses, made it any more special.
The act in itself was so primal, so pure, and surprisingly came very naturally to her. She wasn't at all uncomfortable with admitting something like that.
But what was just the slightest bit disconcerting was what she felt after the fact – when she awoke to him holding her, her naked back pressed firmly against his chest, his arms interlocked over her bare midriff…he had been asleep for some time, she knew. She could feel his breath, slow and even, on the back of her neck, unconsciously nuzzling her shoulder with his muzzle.
She wanted to give in to her feline instinct to purr appreciatively at his gesture, but she bit it down.
Too fast.
It had been too damn fast.
Tigress had always been taught from a very tender age, from both Master Shifu and Master Oogway (more-so from Oogway), that sex was one of the most sacred of acts, something that had to be saved for someone she knew – at the bottom of her heart and mind – she loved. It was common knowledge that the feline always stood for what was righteous and noble, and was a firm believer that, if she ever actually did find someone to share her life with, she'd keep her virtue until they were married. That was at least honorable.
Too fast.
But Po was a good man. He was innocent, as innocent as a child. Even if he wasn't so physically innocent anymore (as they had proven from their activities last night), he was still emotionally innocent.
Despite his low self esteem, and despite all the abuse he ever suffered, he still believed in love. He still believed that love could conquer all, including circumstance.
Although she had never been in a relationship before, and never had to endure the pain of being left alone, she knew that he wouldn't abandon her. He cared about her more than anyone else had – he devoted himself to her. But why, really, did it have to move this fast at all? Why couldn't they wait a little bit longer, just to be sure? Wasn't love more than just pure, physical pleasure?
It was her own choice, though, and honesty, she couldn't complain. With every fiber of her being, she cared about him, but…
So fast. Too soon.
Tigress was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized Po's attempts to grab her attention. "Er, Tigress? Honey, you okay…?"
"Wha-huh?" She blinked, refocusing on the path in front of them. Honey? He's never called me that before. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Why?"
Po shrugged. "I dunno, you've been…pretty quiet since we left…"
"So have you." She shot back halfheartedly.
An awkward, deafening silence ensued for a few more moments.
When she couldn't take the tension anymore, the feline cleared her throat lightly. "So, uhm, how's your shoulder? You said it was still a little tender this morning."
Po gave a little chuckle, his face turning red. "Oh right, yeah. I completely forgot about that." Tigress was, of course, referring to a rather nasty bite she had given him at the height of their little tryst. "It's feeling better, I guess."
"Well, that's good," Tigress said, sighing a bit.
"And how are you? How are you feeling, I mean." He asked.
"A little tired, but, I'll manage," she replied.
She hated having to lie to him. How could she possibly manage after all of this? Suddenly thoughts of Master Shifu sprang back into the front of her mind. He'd have to find out about this eventually. After all, whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not, the red panda was still her father. Or at least, as close to a father as she'd ever know. Of course, she didn't think he really ever knew how to be a father to a daughter. As a result, he had treated her more like a student and less like his own flesh and blood. She never got his unconditional love and respect.
But surely this couldn't have all been a mistake. Everything happened for a reason. There are no accidents. If she could, she would bottle up everything that happened last night, and relive it all every chance she got. Shifu would never be able to give her that. He would never be able to love her like Po did. But that didn't mean that she didn't want to ever have his love – a father's love – if nothing else, she just wanted him to be proud of her. And would he be? Would he be proud of her for this? Would he be proud of a daughter that sacrificed her virtue for the sake of validation, and for the sake of wanting to be loved?
"Tigress?" Po asked worriedly, having noticed the downtrodden look that appeared on her face.
"Yes?" she said, quickly forcing a smile so that he wouldn't worry.
"I…hope that what happened last night…I hope it didn't change anything between us." He said matter-of-factly, tentatively keeping his eyes trained to his feet. "I know it was a little soon, but…" he trailed off as they finally arrived back to the Jade Palace complex.
Tigress began to open her mouth to re-assure him that everything was fine; that he had nothing to be concerned about. But as they walked through the gates to the sparring grounds, which should have been deserted, they instead walked in to find five sets of eyes staring back at them, four of which belonged to the Five, and the fifth of which belonged to—
"Ah, how nice of you two to finally join us."
Master Shifu.
"Shit." Both tiger and panda mutely cursed. It didn't take a genius to see the outcome of all this – they were so royally screwed.
"You both look rather tired." He said evenly with a small frown, glaring at them both, but the glare he gave Tigress was by far the harshest. He turned around, folding his arms behind his back as he looked at the rest of the Five. "I want you four to continue your training as usual. Crane, alert the Palace staff to ready the obstacle course. The rest of you will wait in the training hall. Is that understood?"
As they all scattered, Tigress noted the distressed expression on Viper's face that read: I'm sorry, we had no idea.
"So," the red panda began slowly enough. "Out all night, were you?" He turned on his heel and looked up at their guilty faces. "I won't even begin to ask about what exactly transpired between you two, but I will say this: Tigress, I want you to retire to your bedroom – meditate until I come for you. And as for you, Panda," He looked at Po. "You will stay here with me."
"But Master, I…"
Shifu's eye twitched once. "Now, Tigress."
The feline cringed, bowed hastily, and made a beeline for the bunkhouse.
It took a moment – a very long moment – but Master Shifu finally found his voice. "Dragon Warrior, follow me…" The giant panda gulped, nodded, and followed behind his master, hoping and silently praying that the gods of mercy were looking down on him at that very moment.
This was a bad sign – not that he expected Shifu's reaction to their relationship to be a bed of roses, to be perfectly clear, but whatever the red panda was saying to her right now was tearing him up inside. Po paced back and forth, glancing at the doors to the Sacred Hall of Heroes, where less than twenty-four hours ago he waited for Tigress to come through, although that was a completely different circumstance. At least she was happy to see him. Shifu had instructed the panda to stay put so he could have a word with Tigress alone…which was close to twenty minutes ago.
But it felt to him more like twenty years.
He hadn't been so frightened of being in there since the day he was named Dragon Warrior.
Now listen closely, Panda…Oogway may have picked you, but when I'm through with you, you're going to wish…he…hadn't! Are we clear?
Oh, he was clear. He was so, so clear.
Unfortunately, by the time Po had at least begun the slow process of getting his breathing under control, he heard a rather loud slam, to which his heart instinctively leapt into his throat, breathing wildly, and knew that he was no longer alone. He briefly held some vain hope that somehow Tigress would be by Shifu's side, and she would have somehow, somehow, been able to reason with him and explain to him everything that was going on; but when Po whirled around, he saw Shifu…and no one else. Taking one good look at the old panda's face gave him all the information he would ever need on the outcome of all this.
He was as good as dead. A dead man. Dead man walking…Why did I have to go after Master Shifu's daughter? I should've just been a good panda—
"I had a chance to speak with Tigress," he started rather casually, as if they were discussing the weather. "She told me a lot about what's been going on, but…I was hoping that you would confirm a few things."
"L-Like, confirm what?" Po asked, his heart racing.
Shifu leaned against his staff, twirling his grayed beard between his fingers. "Oh, small things. Little things, really. Things such as, one, who is the Grandmaster of the Jade Palace?"
Po cringed. "You are."
"Correct, Panda. And two, who around here is capable of performing the Wuxi Finger Hold beside yourself?"
"Y-You are." He gulped.
"Yes! And finally, three…" It had all happened so quickly; Shifu jumped up, and snatched one of Po's fingers in between his thumb and index finger, raising his pinkie. "Would you believe me if I had said I spent the entire night with your father, trying to win back all the money I lost when he completely blew me away at mahjong?"
The silence in the room at that very moment was so deafening, Po swore that he could almost hear his own brain grind to a complete and utter halt.
"W-what?" The panda peeped. "I–I'm sorry, I don't think I really heard — WHAT!"
Shifu smiled wryly. "You two really do have a lot in common. It is a universal rule, really: a good master is always two steps ahead of his students."
He tricked us? "But, but I thought you said you were going to the capital – t-to meet the Emperor, and then…you were with my dad?"
"Yes, I was," he confirmed. "And I did get a letter from the capital, but I will get to that in a moment. You may not realize this, Panda, and neither did Tigress…" He paused. "I have known about you and her for a long time."
"How long?" Po asked a little too quickly.
The red panda chuckled. "That first morning, in the courtyard, when Tigress did her little demonstration for the perfect split?" Shifu looked at him, and Po nodded. "There were two things I noticed: First, whether she was doing it consciously to try and intimidate you or not, Tigress exerted much more effort than was truly necessary for that particular move – and secondly, in the exact words your father told me…" He sighed. "'You need to put your eyes back in your head, son.' I could see the fire she ignited in you, that drive, the determination. After Tai Lung returned, I surmised that it would only be a matter of time before at least one of you would be bold enough to make a move…"
One could tell Po was still having some difficulty wrapping his head around this. If Shifu had known about this, any of it, from the beginning… "Then why didn't you say anything? Aren't you, you know? Mad, or upset or something?"
"I'd be lying to you if I said that I wasn't disappointed, Panda." The red panda shook his head. "But Tigress is a strong and capable young woman; she always has been. She is an adult. She has her independence, and the full authority to make her own decisions. I've come to expect that she will do things I may or may not agree with…but Po, listen to me. The only reason I am able to let this go…is because you have been able to do more for her in just the ten months that you've been here than I have been able to do for her in almost fifteen years."
"I…" Po started.
"Fifteen years, Panda – that's more than half her lifetime! How could I possibly be upset with someone for that? I'm not that heartless." Shifu paused to gaze at his reflection in the Moon Pool. "I just want to protect her, and above all else, I want her to be happy. And I need for her to know, without even the slightest shadow of a doubt, that this is what she really wants."
"And the letter?" Po asked, snapping Shifu from his thoughts.
"The letter was never meant for me," he admitted, "It was meant for you. The Emperor wants to meet you in person, to congratulate your victory."
"And he's coming to the valley?"
Shifu shook his head. "No, he requested your presence specifically in his court."
There was a moment of silence, and then he asked, "What about Tigress?"
"The Emperor said that you could bring a guest, but, she declined. And honestly, I believe that she is making the right decision. Heaven only knows what would happen if you two were alone for more than a few hours…"
At that moment, Po was thankful that Shifu couldn't detect the redness that had risen on his face; he knew some things, obviously, but truthfully, he didn't need to exactly know everything. He turned to look at the doors. "So, just so we're clear…you're not mad at me?"
Shifu sighed, clasping his hands behind his back. "No, I am not. Besides, if you step out of line, I will be the least of your worries…"
"Zeng will accompany you as far as the capital," he paused. "Panda?"
Po turned around. "Yes, Master?"
"Myself and the others will be awaiting you in the courtyard – but Tigress wanted to see you in private. She's in the student barracks, on the rear balcony." Master Shifu bowed, and Po reflected the red panda's motion, before setting off for the bunkhouse. The panda didn't catch the slight, albeit sad smile that touched Master Shifu's face as he left; truth was, Shifu didn't catch it either.
Tigress stared off towards the horizon, watching the sun hung low in the sky, just barely touching the mountaintops. A tingling sensation broke her from her trance-like stare, and her eyes dropped down, smiling slightly as a single butterfly danced through the air in front of her, looking for a safe place to land. She gently laid her paws down flat on the railing, intently following the beautiful insect with her gaze as it landed on the backside of her right paw, ruffling its wings for a bit before taking flight again, out towards the evening sky.
It wasn't until the moment that she hugged her arms close to her chest did she realize that her entire body was shaking, but it didn't seem to faze her…at least, not yet anyway. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, and she knew it. The things she thought now, the things that she felt; there was no way she could make any sense of it.
It had all started with just one stupid kiss, one stupid vulnerable moment when she let her guard down. So why then, as small and insignificant as it was, did it seem like so much more? Perhaps it was because it hadn't just remained one moment in time; it was one vulnerable moment which turned in to one more kiss, one more date, one more fleeting thought that maybe, just maybe, that even though he was the first and only man she'd ever opened up to, he could actually be that one person who she could confide in and be comfortable with for the rest of her life…Po. Po Ping. He made all her wishes come true. He made her happy. And she was happy – happier now than she had been in a long, long time.
But what exactly did that mean? And how could she possibly begin to explain it? Intensity. Adoration. Longing. Passion…as hard as she tried to find it, there were no adjectives to describe what she felt toward what it was they shared.
All she could ask herself was Why? How could she allow herself to be blinded by an emotion so feeble, so fleeting; something that could make her truly happy, but could also cause her inconceivable agony?
The sound of footsteps suddenly rang through her ears.
"Tigress…?"
She knew that voice — so calm and understanding.
But she still didn't know what to feel. She shook her head and allowed him room to take a spot next to her, but he didn't move from the doorway. "Shifu and the others are waiting in the courtyard to send me off, but he said you wanted to see me alone before I left."
She nodded, yet said nothing.
He sighed, "You know I don't want to do this without you."
"I know," Tigress said quietly, "But everything's moving so fast. I need time to think. And you need to take time to think, too. I feel like…" She sighed, folding her arms on the railing and resting her head on them. "I feel like the past couple of days have been a sort of fantasy. And now we're jumping back into real life, and I don't know how we're going to cope with that."
Po found his feet and walked over to the distraught tiger, kneeling before her. "But this isn't coping, this is escaping. Tigress, honey, don't make me leave. Not now."
She wanted to give in, she really did, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead the feline shook her head again and placed her paw resolutely on his shoulder. "No, you're not escaping. I just need to be alone for a little while. I need to remember who I used to be. I need to re-evaluate who I am as a person. And I don't think I'll be able to do that with you here." She smiled sadly. "I need some time to myself, Po, because I think there are some unresolved issues I need to take care of." She took a deep breath. "But that shouldn't take long. A few weeks, maybe. Besides, this is an opportunity for you to see the country, meet the Emperor. I'll write to you along the way. By the time you get back, I'll know what to do. And everything will be alright then." She paused. "I need this, Po. Please."
He stood and nodded solemnly. "Whatever you think is best."
She gazed up at him, her beautiful crimson red eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I think this is best." Please don't look so sad.
"Do you think there's enough time for us to have dinner? Just the two of us?"
She shook her head as she walked towards the door. "No. I don't think so. The sun will be down before you know it…it's a long road to Cháng'ān."
Being the gentleman he was, Po held the door open for her to walk through, but she simply stopped and looked at him for a bit. Then she leaned forward and kissed him. A simple, soft, non-demanding kiss.
She pulled back. "Goodbye, Po."
"Goodbye, Tigress."
Their departing words sounded so frighteningly final.
Once she had disappeared through the door to the bunkhouse, it would be the last time he'd see or hear from her for much longer than the few weeks she'd promised.
......
It was much later that night; several hours had passed since Po and Zeng were sent on their way to the capital city. The others had gone to bed by the time Master Shifu retired to his own bed chamber (after the day's events he had subsequently raided the liquor cabinet for a glass and an unopened bottle of maotai). He was in the process of pulling back the covers on his bed mat when he heard a very soft, almost timid knock at his door. Shifu sighed and got back up, a candle in hand, and pulled the door open, shedding a dim light on the figure out in the hall.
When he looked up, the old red panda could hardly believe his eyes. "Tigress."
The feline bowed respectfully, "Good evening, Master. I know it's late, but, may I come in? I've been meaning to talk to you…"
I apologize to all of you readers about making the end of this chapter so damn depressing, but for there to be laughter in the end, I always say, there needs to be some sorrow. And unfortunately, that is where the Dragon Warrior, and Master Tigress, will be…my muse, and therefore the tone of my writing, corresponds to how I'm feeling at the moment…all I can say for right now is: Poor Panda! In case you didn't catch it, I referenced more than just Butterflies by MJ, I also borrowed some lyrics from a touching song by Billy Joel – Lullaby (Goodnight, My Angel).
And if anyone is wondering why Tigress was licking Po like a lollipop, check out Google for more information on the mating habits of tigers…
Please feel free to leave a comment. It really lets me know you all care!
Cheers :)
